MERSING: A contract cleaning worker died while another suffered serious injuries after being trampled by an elephant in a small forested area near Sekolah Kebangsaan Tenggaroh today.
Mersing deputy police chief, DSP Sharif Shai Sharif Mondoi, said in the 5 am incident, Mohamad Syafik Yakob, 31, succumbed to injuries to his neck and left chest while being transported to the Tenggaroh 2 Health Clinic.
He said that another victim, Zalini Dahlan, 51, sustained head injuries, internal bleeding, and a broken hip.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that both contract cleaning workers had attempted to drive the wild animal away from the school area before being attacked.
“Mohamad Syafik’s body has been sent to Mersing Hospital for an autopsy, while Zalini has been referred to Sultan Ismail Hospital in Johor Bahru for further treatment,” he said in a statement today.
Sharif Shai said that the elephant was believed to have been separated from its herd.
“We advise the public to report any wildlife-related issues to the authorities and refrain from taking matters into their own hands, which may result in conflicts and confrontations,” he said.
Earlier, several photos and posts related to the incident involving Mohamad Syafik and Zalini went viral on Facebook.
State Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) director Aminuddin Jamin told Bernama that an investigation into the incident is underway.
According to records from the Johor Perhilitan, there were 510 complaints about human-elephant conflicts reported across six districts from 2020 to August last year, with Mersing reporting 181 cases, Kluang 160, Kota Tinggi 111, Segamat 39, Batu Pahat 12, and Johor Bahru seven.